Like the previous day, this was a walk through leech ? infested country, slippery logs and rocks, as well as numerous other obstacles straight out of a commando-training manual.We pushed our bodies to the max and at 1pm, after seven hours of hellish jungle, we descended into kunai country and were rewarded with our first glimpse of Wau.?Wau! Wow!?…[Read more]

Skin Diwai was the site of a major Australian base during WW11 and is littered with live bombs, ammunition, other war junk including boots, and even the wreckage.Being one of the high points between Salamaua and Wau, Skin Diwai is freezing cold, and we slept as close to the fire as possible that night.Keen to hit Wau the next day, come rain or…[Read more]

Many a time, I felt like opening my backpack and throwing all my wet clothes into the bush, as they were the ones really adding on extra kilos.We persevered, and after eight hours of torture, came to a kunai clearing which marked our entrance to Skin Diwai.We could push our weary bodies no more, and literally collapsed in a heap at Skin Diwai.In…[Read more]

One time, as I was climbing up a creek, I almost put my hand on to a brown snake which Lionel and Solomon later told me was poisonous. Talk about a close call!Suddenly, Lionel gave out a yell, thinking that a snake had bitten him.After close inspection, no, but it was a leech.Thus marked our entry into leech country.The insidious creatures crawled…[Read more]

After that, we talked well into the night, encouraging the locals to start building village ? style guesthouses for trekkers who would pass through their village.The response was very encouraging.We pressed on the next morning through thick rainforest as the track steepened and deteriorated markedly.My bulk and weight of the backpack on my…[Read more]

We were up early that morning, while the rest of PNG was probably still in bed, and descended down Guisep Creek, and made numerous creek and river crossings before arriving at Mubo.From Mubo, we precariously edged our way past steep cliff faces as the flooded Bitoi River raged below, to an easier crossing further upstream.We passed through a…[Read more]

We reached the top of Mt Tambu at about 6pm and continued on to a mountain spring, in which we all washed and quenched our thirst, before descending to the hamlet of ?Niukamp? (New Camp).We had dinner of bananas, rice, tinned meat, and hot cups of coffee before resting our tired bodies.Wednesday July 23, 2003 ? Remembrance Day ? is a day that I?ll…[Read more]

This was when the hard slog started as we climbed through thick kunai up towards Mount Tambu.Every now and then, we would come across shady bamboo, rewarded by panoramic views of the valley and sea unfolding before us.Massive bomb craters from WW11 indicated the ferocity of the battles here in 1942.Solomon recounted a story, which was repeated…[Read more]

Come Tuesday morning, heavy rain started pouring, and we had to wait until 10am before we left Laugui with Lionel and his hardy uncle Solomon Jawing.We followed the coconut avenues past the colorful cemetery, walked further inland through thick mud, where we crossed the flooded Francisco River.I found the going tough against the swift current;…[Read more]

Pouring rain eventually gave way to sunshine as we dropped off some students at Salamaua High School on top of Kela village, before crossing the bay to Laugui village at Salamaua Point.We spent a relaxing afternoon visiting the old graves around Salamaua, which date back to the gold mining days, as well as Japanese tunnels and anti ? aircraft guns…[Read more]

The Lonely Planet guidebook quotes a local expat as saying the Black cat is ?suitable only for masochists and Israeli paratroopers?.After walking from Salamaua from Wau over five days from July 22 to 26, I can only say know that I do not know how I survived.The idea of walking the Black Cat Trail came to me after my painful struggle over the…[Read more]

?The memorial at Ower?s corner is another problem.?The from (from Ower?s Corner to Sogeri) should be fixed.?This causes a lot of inconvenience.?A lot of times, we innocent porters are blamed.?The guides and porters of the Kokoda Trail, unlike many of their peers who roam around aimlessly in our towns and cities, know the importance of the Kokoda…[Read more]

?This money should be given to villages starting from Vesulogo, Girinumu, Nauro, Manari, Efogi, Naduri, Kagi, Alola, Hoi, Kovelo, and then Kokoda Station.?Money will go to the villages and they will clear the trail, build rest houses, and lift up bridges.?Each village will be responsible for its own area.?It will cause a lot of problems if a…[Read more]

?At our end, our local Kokoda leaders should put their heads together and do something about the trail.?Locals should be engaged in cleaning monuments.?There should be proper camping sites.?Tourists spend a lot on coming to come into PNG and walk the Kokoda Trail, so the government should put some money back into the trail.?The other major thing I…[Read more]

?This should apply to the young people all the way from the Koiari villages in Sogeri to the Orokaiva villages in Kokoda.?It would also be a good idea to have proper monuments placed in all major battle sites.?People should be engaged to clean up the monuments.?There should also be a proper border mark to show the boundaries of Central and…[Read more]

Minama Yarea, a Koiari porter, says the Koiari Local Level Government and other relevant authorities should look at providing proper training for the guides and porters.?They should help the young men in courses such as tourism, first aid, cooking, and others,? he told me.?However, we want to see proper shelters, bridges, and toilets built along…[Read more]

Visitors trek along the trail, including a 1996 trek, which included Australian TV personalities such as Angry Anderson, Colette Mann, and others.Young men from all villages along the trail, are employed as a guide and porters to ensure you are safe should you decide to come to PNG and walk the Kokoda Trail.?It gives them a chance to earn an…[Read more]

Those dark days of WW11 are well and truly over but today, a younger, modern ?fuzzy wuzzy angel?is continuing the great tradition of its grandfathers.These are the guides and porters of the Kokoda Trail, who bring overseas trekkers over this famous wartime icon.Many of these young men, from the Koiari and Orokaiva villages along the trail, would…[Read more]

Fuzzy Wuzzy AngelsMany a mother in Australia when the busy day is doneSends a prayer to the Almighty for the keeping of her sonAsking that an angel guide him and bring him safely backNow we see those prayers are answered on the Owen Stanley Track.For they haven't any halos only holes slashed in their earsAnd their faces worked by tattoos with…[Read more]